Final Results-NHRA Castrol GTX Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Con ference Finals- Reading, Pa.
SATURDAY JUNE 29, 2002 Indianapolis Raceway Park Wins Second Team Championship Title MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY, Reading, Pa.-The 3rd Annual NHRA Castrol GTX Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Conference Finals concluded today at Maple Grove Raceway with champions, ranging in ages from 8 to 17 years-old, being crowned in eight eliminator categories. With nearly than 500 drivers, representing over 30 NHRA member tracks, competing for honors the action was furious throughout the day, with the young racers skill's translating into event victories. A large part of the event was the team competition, in which drivers earned points for each round of racing completed. The coveted Team Championship went Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis, Ind., who earned 36 points. This was the second Team Championship for Team IRP who first won the title in 1999. Finishing in second was Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla., with 32 points. Taking third with 27 points was Pacemakers Raceway Park, Mt. Vernon, Ohio. Individual event honors went to Alexa Rick, Allen Rouse Jr., Dylan Myers, Andrew Head, Joey Shipp, Nick Hastings, Mark Roe and Martin Flegal. In the 8-9 year old category Darlington Raceway's Alexa Rick of Elyria, Ohio emerged victorious when she took out Montgomery Motorsports Park's Daniel Futch of Immokalee, Fla. This was the second final round appearance in a row for nine-year-old Rick, who last year was defeated by two-time Eastern Conference Finals champion Timmy DiIorio. Gainesville Raceway's Allen Rouse, Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., took home the 10 year-old crown when he defeated Gainesville, Ga. runner Matt Gillen, racing for Atlanta Dragway, Atlanta, Ga. While in the 11-year old category the title went to local favorite and Team Maple Grove representative Dylan Myers, Mechanicsburg, Pa., who won over Nineveh, Ind. Racer Matthew Murphy. Taking home the victory in the 12-year-old category was Mid-Michigan Raceway's Andrew Head of Streetsboro, Ohio. He defeated Shawna Burnett, Clarksville, Ind. Chalking up a win for Team IRP was 13-year-old Joey Shipp of Whiteland, Ind. In the final Shipp defeated fellow Indiana racer Jordan Eaker of Brownsburg, who was racing for Wabash Valley Dragway, of Terre Haute, Ind. Representing National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio Nick Hastings of Shelby, Ohio conquered the 14 year-old category when he defeated Team Gainesville's Kayla Pugh of Middleburg, Fla. In the 15-year old category, Mark Roe of Clarksville, Ohio took the win home for Kil-Kare Dragway , Xenia, Ohio when he defeated Ryan Pickens, Elyria, Ohio from Pacemakers Raceway Park. While in the 16-17 year old final it was a double shot of Team Maple Grove when Martin Flegal of Lititz, Pa,. defeated Michael Barbato of West Chester. In the other NHRA Castrol GTX Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Conference Finals action, special awards were presented to Baxter Benson of York, Pa., for Best Appearing Car and Mark Roe of Clarksville, Ohio for Best Engineered Car, while Tina Orth, Adamstown, Pa., and her parents Robin and Rich received the Best Appearing Crew Award. Awards were also given to Scott Dewitt of Essex, Mass., Amanda Featherman of Middletown, N.J., and Eric Peterka, Gilbertsville, Pa., for having perfect .500 reaction times. The award running a dead-on run was given to 11-year-old Champion Dylan Myers and Brandon Chittenden of Cheek, N.Y. In addition to competing for Team and Individual honors an award was also presented to the Eastern Conference Finals team with the most "spirit." This year the Team Spirit Award was presented to Gainesville Raceway. The NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League was founded a decade ago by late Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, N.J., track operator Vinnie Napp. The NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League allows kids ages 8-17 to race half-scale dragsters on eight-mile drag strips throughout North America. The following are Saturdays final round results from the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Conference Finals event at Maple Grove Raceway: 16-17 year-old Category Martin Flegal, Lititz, Pa., .529 reaction time, 8.920 seconds, 71.55 mph def. Michael Barbato, West Chester, Pa., .523, 9.246, 68.47 15-year-old Category Mark Roe, Clarksville, Ohio, .538 reaction time, 8.035 seconds, 79.52 mph def. Ryan Pickens, Elyria, Ohio, .587, 9.689, 66.38 14-year-old category Nick Hastings, Shelby, Ohio, .516 reaction time, 8.207 seconds, 74.28 mph def. Kayla Pugh, Middleburg, Fla., .754, 8.704, 73.66 13-year old Category Joey Shipp, Whiteland, Ind., .563 reaction time, 8.406 seconds, 74.33 mph def. Jordan Eaker, Brownsburg, Ind., .591, 8.151, 77.90 12-Year-Old Category Andrew Head, Streetsboro, Ohio, .513 reaction time, 9.099 seconds, 67.77 mph def. Shawna Burnett, Clarksville, Ind., .538, 9.034, 70.48 11-year-old Category Dylan Myers, Mechanicsburg, Pa., .561 reaction time, 9.238 seconds, 70.10 mph def. Matthew Murphy, Nineveh, Ind., .632, 8.988, 72.31 10-year-old Category Allen Rouse, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla., .609 reaction time, 9.010 seconds, 70.55 mph def. Matt Gillen, Gainesville, Ga., .595, 9.121, 69.19 8-9 year-old Category Alexa Rick, Elyria, Ohio, .522 reaction time, 13.056 seconds, 47.39 mph def. Daniel Futch, Immokalee, Fla., .577, 13.070, 52.44
